Part Thirteen: More examples of questions that challenge atheists to refute evidences for God’s existence.
This week’s blog article continues last week’s blog with additional examples of legitimate questions that challenge atheists to refute evidences for God’s existence. The purpose of these questions is to stimulate conversations that lead to opportunities for Christians to share why they believe God does exist. (The introduction to this issue is in last week’s blog article.)
5. “How can you claim that God exists when there is so much pain,
suffering, and evil in the world?”
• “For the sake of argument, let’s say God doesn’t exist. In an atheistic worldview, people have to accept the reality of evil and human suffering and live with it—with no hope of a future life where evil and suffering will no longer exist. Can you offer a realistic solution to corporate human suffering and evil in the absence of God?”
• “If God doesn’t exist, there is no future life free of evil and human suffering. What hope can atheists offer people experiencing a lifetime of suffering and pain with no prospect of life after death—a place where evil, pain, and suffering will no longer exist?”
• “If God doesn’t exist to condemn and punish evildoers, what hope for justice can atheists offer people who have been raped or who’s loved ones have been murdered—and the perpetrators never caught?”
• “If God is all loving and all powerful and yet chooses to allow pain and suffering to remain in this world, He must have good reasons. Before you reject God out of ignorance, wouldn’t it be wise to at least see what those reasons might be?”
• “Why do you blame God for evil acts that people are clearly responsible for—such as war, murder, rape, and child abuse?”
6. “Belief in God is a primitive superstition; intelligent people reject it!”
• “If that’s true, how do you explain why there are multiple millions of bright, educated, modern people from all walks of life and cultures who are convinced God does exist, and has revealed Himself in ways that can be investigated and experienced?”
• “If belief in God is mere superstition, why have so many educated former atheists—after investigating evidences for the existence of God—become strong, committed Christians?”
7. “You can have just as a fulfilling life as an atheists as you can a
Christian!”
• “Throughout history, the human race has sought answers to fundamental and perplexing questions about human existence: Why are we here? Where did we come from? What happens after death? Why is their evil and suffering in the world? If God does not exist, tell me how atheists answer any of these questions in a satisfactory and fulfilling way?”
• “Atheists see humans as merely a cosmic accident—the product of random, mindless evolution. We live only a few short decades followed by eternal death. What is the ultimate purpose or meaning of life if God does not exist to offer us eternal life?”
8. “I can’t believe in something I can’t see or science can’t prove!”
• “Since scientific “facts” are determined by observation and experimentation, how can science disprove the existence of God?”
• “Science readily accepts phenomena that are not visible or fully understood, such black holes, dark matter, gravitational force, quarks and other subatomic particles because the preponderance of evidence points to their existence—and they help to explain other phenomena that otherwise wouldn’t make sense. Why are you unwilling to apply the same criteria for determining the existence of God, especially when there is compelling evidence He does exist? Isn’t that being hypocritical?” ©
In next week’s blog article, I will provide examples of Socratic questions that challenge skeptics who reject Jesus Christ and His resurrection to rethink the legitimacy of their views.
This series of blog articles is adapted from my book The Christian Combat Manual: Helps for Defending Your Faith; A Handbook for Practical Apologetics, which can be purchased at most outlets. The Combat Manual gives the Christian position on this issue and evidence to support it.